Feral hogs and hog hunting in Texas

Feral hogs in Texas: where they are

Texas A&M's Natural Resources Institute (NRI) puts the Texas feral pig population at more than 3 million in its April 2026 update. Citing USDA data, NRI says hogs occupied 250 of the state's 254 counties in 2024. The only exceptions were Dallam, Hansford and Sherman in the northern Panhandle and El Paso in the far west. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) earlier figure was about 2.6 million, so whichever number you use, the trend is up.

In practice that means hogs from the Piney Woods to the South Texas brush country, and right here in the Blackland Prairie around our plant in Hill County. A sow can breed at about six months and carries a litter for roughly 115 days, so a few escapes become a sounder fast. TPWD estimates that 66–70% of hogs would have to be removed every year just to hold numbers steady. Texas manages only about 29%.

The damage bill is the biggest in the country. NRI cites more than $670 million a year in crop damage in Texas, plus about $200 million in control and mitigation costs (McKee et al., 2024). TPWD notes that one hog can do at least $1,000 of agricultural damage in a single night.

Wild boar, wild hog or feral hog?

In Texas, "wild boar," "wild hog" and "feral hog" all mean the same animal: Sus scrofa, a mix of escaped domestic pigs and Eurasian wild boar. Our guide to wild boar vs. feral hog explains the difference in names.

Feral hog status	3M+ hogs in 250 of 254 counties (Texas A&M NRI, 2026)
Hunting license on private land	Not required with landowner consent (since Sept. 1, 2019)
Hunting license on public land	Required
Season / bag limit	No closed season, no bag or possession limit
Night hunting	Allowed on private land; lights, thermal and night vision are legal
Helicopter hunting	Only under a TPWD Aerial Wildlife Management Permit
Live transport	Only to slaughter, an approved holding facility or an authorized preserve (TAHC)

Hog hunting and trapping rules in Texas

As of 2026, Texas has the loosest hog-hunting laws in the country. Under Agriculture Code 161.002, feral hogs are exotic livestock, not game, so there is no closed season and no bag or possession limit.

• Private land. Since September 1, 2019 (SB 317, Parks and Wildlife Code 42.002), anyone, resident or nonresident, can hunt or trap feral hogs without a hunting license as long as the landowner consents. Hunting without consent is still a violation. A landowner who charges people to hunt hogs needs a hunting lease license from TPWD.
• Public land. You need a valid Texas hunting license, and each area's own rules apply.
• Night hunting. Spotlights, thermal and night-vision scopes are legal for hogs. NRI suggests telling your local game warden before you shoot after dark. Suppressors are legal with an approved ATF Form 4.
• Helicopter hog hunting. Shooting hogs from an aircraft requires a TPWD Aerial Wildlife Management Permit. A paying gunner must be a qualified landowner's agent with a Landowner Authorization filed and stamped by TPWD before the flight. Sport hunting from an aircraft is illegal under state and federal law, so a legitimate heli hog hunting outfit works inside that permit.
• Toxicants. Warfarin hog bait is federally approved, but it must come from an authorized dealer, and the person applying it needs a Texas Department of Agriculture applicator license.

Trapping and moving live hogs

You can trap year-round on private land with consent. Moving a live feral hog is a different matter. Under Texas Animal Health Commission rules (4 TAC §55.9), a live hog may only go directly to a recognized slaughter facility, an approved holding facility or an authorized hunting preserve. It must ride in an escape-proof trailer and can be held in it for no more than 7 days.

Selling hogs to our plant

The slaughter route is how a trapped Texas hog becomes inspected meat. We buy live-trapped hogs at the Rockin M Pig Pen in Hubbard, and field-dressed hogs from hunters who hold our company hunter license. See sell your hogs for what we need, and how to trap feral hogs for trap setups that catch a whole sounder.

Cooking wild hog, Texas style

Central Texas barbecue is salt, pepper and post oak smoke, and wild hog takes to it well as long as you remember it's leaner than a commercial pig. Rub our St. Louis ribs with coarse black pepper and kosher salt, smoke them at 250°F (121°C), and wrap them in butcher paper once the bark sets so they stay moist.

For Tex-Mex carnitas, use a shoulder roast. Braise it with orange, garlic and cumin until it pulls apart, then crisp the shreds in a hot cast-iron skillet and pile them into corn tortillas. For a weekend cookout, our smoked sausage links can go straight on the pit beside the brisket. Whatever you cook, take wild boar to at least 160°F (71°C).

Wild boar meat delivery to Texas

We ship wild boar from our plant in Hubbard, Texas to every part of Texas — frozen, vacuum sealed and packed with dry ice. Estimated transit: 1–2 days by ground (estimate), including Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso. Orders over $199.00 ship free; smaller orders ship for a flat $39.95.

Transit is an estimate from Hubbard, TX: about 1 day to DFW, Waco, Austin and Houston, and about 2 days to El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. Central Texas customers can also pick up at the plant.

Feral hogs in Texas: FAQ

Sources

1. Texas A&M NRI — An update on feral pig laws and regulations in Texas (April 2026)
2. TPWD — Wild pigs (feral hogs) in Texas
3. TPWD — Aerial Wildlife Management Permit FAQ
4. Texas Farm Bureau — New law allows hunting feral hogs without a license (2019)
5. 4 Tex. Admin. Code § 55.9 — Feral swine requirements (TAHC)
6. USDA APHIS — Feral swine distribution maps

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